


Prom

by Fangirl_Forever



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, First Dates, First Kiss, First Meetings, Fluff, Happy Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, I'm Bad At Titles, Insecure Alec Lightwood, Isabelle Lightwood Ships Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Magnus Bane & Isabelle Lightwood Friendship, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Fluff, Matchmaker Isabelle Lightwood, Protective Isabelle Lightwood, Protective Jace Wayland, Supportive Isabelle Lightwood, Supportive Magnus Bane, Sweet Magnus
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2018-11-08 15:24:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11084424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fangirl_Forever/pseuds/Fangirl_Forever
Summary: It's prom time! Izzy and Jace are making Alec attend his senior prom, which of course means shopping for a dress and suits. They meet Magnus Bane at the dress shop and things take off from there.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a fic I started back in 2015, before the show, but never finished. The characters were completely book based then, but I like the show and have decided to add in some show elements to them. I'm currently going through and editing what I already have written and I have plans for several more chapters. Updates probably won't be very often, as I have other projects I'm working on, but I'll try for once a month at least.  
> I don't think I'm playing around with the ages much here, but I checked Alec's birthday on Google and all I found was a Shadowhunter Wiki that said his birthday is in September, which is perfect for my story because I wanted him to be 19 and a senior and that works out. As for everyone else, Magnus is a few years older than Alec, Jace is 18 and a senior, Isabelle, Clary, and Simon are all 17 and juniors.  
> Tags will change as the story progresses.  
> *I don't own any of these characters.  
> **Please point out any inconsistencies or typos to me!  
> ***Comments are appreciated!

“I still don’t get why I have to go. I don’t like parties and I don’t even have a date!” Alec Lightwood muttered under his breath, stepping through the threshold of the sixth formal wear shop his sister and brother had dragged him into. He irritably brushed his hand through his black hair, continuing to mumble and drag his feet.

Isabelle turned around to face him, her dark brown eyes flashing. She raised a finger to his face and hissed her annoyance. “Alec, would you stop complaining already? You’re going! It’s your senior year and prom is important!”

Jace sighed and grabbed Alec’s arm, dragging him completely through the entrance and into the store. “You don’t have to stay for the whole thing. Just long enough for the beginning. Just do the senior ceremony and all the pictures and then you can bail out.”

Alec sighed and gave up trying. It was important to them, so he would do it. He just hoped this was the last store they went into. “Let’s get this over with,” he said as he brushed past Jace, intending to just pick something random to placate them. But glancing up, his sapphire eyes caught sight of the person behind the counter, very animatedly showing a piece of jewelry to another customer, and he froze.

Jace and Izzy surrounded him on either side, boxing him in. Izzy opened her mouth to ask a question, until her eyes followed his gaze and saw what he had stopped him in his tracks. “Oh my hotness,” she whispered softly.

The man behind the counter was indeed hot. But in Alec’s opinion, hot wasn’t enough to describe him. He had his hair cut into a short mohawk, the sides buzzed instead of shaved, and the top of it was slicked up perfectly and had bright blue streaks in it. Alec couldn’t see what color his eyes were, but they were covered in eye-shadow and eyeliner, creating a perfect smoky eye. He appeared to be sitting behind the counter so Alec couldn’t see how tall he was but his arms were long and slender, moving in graceful motions as he held up the necklace for the customer to see. He wore a simple white button up shirt, which made his tanned skin appear radiant. 

Finally, realizing they were all staring, Jace shook his head and stepped forward, leading the way with Izzy following close behind and Alec bringing up the rear. He turned back to catch Alec’s eye and winked at him, nodding towards the counter discreetly. Alec felt his cheeks warm and he hurriedly shook his head. Jace merely smirked and turned back to face the counter.

The man, without looking away from the necklace that he was now boxing up, said “One minute and I’ll be right with you all.”

Alec felt himself blush more, wanting that voice to keep talking. Trying to distract himself, he nervously tugged at the frayed sleeves of his faded sweater, for once in his life wishing he had listened to his sister and worn a decent shirt. He was jerked from his thoughts by the voice speaking again, this time thanking the customer for her business and wishing her a good day. His eyes snapped up just as the man turned to face them. The man’s gaze slowly traveled over Izzy and Jace before resting on Alec.

 

Magnus gritted his teeth to keep from snapping at the customer. He had tried so hard to talk her out of buying that lime green jeweled atrocity of a necklace but she was persistent that it was the one. Apparently it “matched her dress perfectly!”, she reminded him again for the fifth time.

He heard the door open and quickly snuck a glance up to see who had come in. The first two in front he thought to be a couple at first. There was no way they were siblings or even cousins. Not only was their coloring polar opposites, she had dark hair and eyes whereas the boy’s hair and eyes were light, but there was nothing remotely similar between their faces or bodies.

That was his thought until the second boy stepped into his view. Magnus felt his breath catch for a second before he caught himself. He quickly turned his gaze back to the customer, making sure to be his usual flamboyant self. He switched his attention away from trying to change the customer’s mind and to trying to get her out of there as quickly as he could so he could talk to the gorgeous angel with black hair and blue eyes that had just entered the store. He strained his ears as he pulled out a pre-sized box made for the necklace from under the counter. He caught a softly whispered “Oh my hotness” from the girl and struggled to keep a straight face. He was just putting the top on the box when the trio stepped up to the counter.

Without lifting his head, he said “One minute and I’ll be right you all.” He managed to hold on to his patience and composure long enough to give the customer the required “Thank you for your business. Have a good day!” Before turning to face the group. He made a point of slowly looking over the girl and boy first before looking at the angel before him. Porcelain skin truly made him appear angelic. But that sweater! Magnus nearly cringed at the sight of it. But after, seeing the way the boy was pulling at the sleeves, Magnus could tell the sweaters was a comfort to him. So he just decided to ignore it, despite how frayed, faded, and worn out it was. Clearing his throat, he stood up to his full height and stepped over to the side of the counter facing the group. 

“Welcome to ‘Johnson’s Formal Wear’. My name is Magnus. What can I do for you today?” he drawled out, catching the way the blue eyed boy’s cheeks turned pink as he spoke.

 

Alec quickly turned his eyes away when Magnus looked at him directly. But he couldn’t get the image of his eyes out of his head. He had seen green eyes before, but none as beautiful as Magnus’s. They were a vivid, striking green, with hints of gold that shined just lightly enough that Alec wondered if he was imagining it. He heard Magnus speaking again and couldn’t stop the blush from reappearing. He self consciously ducked his head, tugging on his sleeve again.

Jace stepped forward and leaned against the counter on his elbows. “We’re shopping for prom. My sister here has been in five other stores and hasn’t found ‘the dress’.” he replied to Magnus’s questions, not at all intimidated or flabbergasted by Magnus the way Alec was.

Alec suddenly wished he was as confident as Jace and Izzy. They had no problem telling someone they were interested in that they wanted to take them out for coffee. Although to be fair, they had not done that in a long time since meeting their latest interests. But Alec had a feeling this time it was serious for both of them. Just another thing he was envious of them for, when he was honest with himself. He came out of his thoughts in time to see he was being left behind as Magnus led them through the store. He hurried to catch up, almost tripping over his own feet. 

As they walked, Izzy started listing everything she wanted in a dress, using many foreign terms that flew completely over Alec’s head, and probably Jace’s as well. Magnus on the other hand simply nodded and replied back to her demands with more words that Alec didn’t understand. Magnus finally led them to a room full of dresses in Izzy’s size, in all sorts of fabrics, patterns, and colors Alec didn’t recognize. But Magnus was apparently an expert as he started flitting from one rack to another, pulling dresses out and throwing them over Izzy’s outstretched arms with practiced ease. After he had searched the entire room and loaded down not only Izzy’s arms, but his own and Jace’s as well, did he hurry them along to another room in another part of the store. This room was filled with jackets, pants, and shirts in a variety of styles and colors.

“You two start browsing through here, find something you like and bring it to the fitting rooms just down the hall. I’ll go with Izzy and help her start trying these dresses on.” Magnus said, hoisting his armload of dresses to his shoulder so he could take Jace’s load. And then he and Izzy were hurrying out of the room, and could be heard giggling together as they walked down the hall.

Alec looked at Jace hopelessly, with no idea where to start. “We just need a couple of black tuxedos, right?” he asked. Jace laughed and walked to one of the racks of black suits.

“It’s not that simple. Tuxedos come in varieties, too. And everything has to be fitted and tailored to fit properly.” He pulled one suit jacket off the rack and held it up, inspecting it closely. Alec swallowed nervously, anxiously tugging on his sleeve again. Biting his lip, he gathered his courage and stepped over to the closest rack to him, one full of crisp white shirts. He tried to look at them and actually think about it but his mind just wouldn’t let him. He was too busy thinking about Magnus.

 

Magnus found himself in a predicament as he went from rack to rack pulling out dresses for Izzy. He made sure to pick dresses that matched the list she had given him but he also picked out some of his own choices. Choices he felt would compliment her black hair and her skin tone wonderfully. But in the back of his mind he was thinking about the gorgeousness behind him. Normally when someone would catch his eye, he would just come right out and show his interest. He didn’t normally do subtlety. But looking at the boy with the blue eyes, he could tell that approach wouldn’t work well. For one, the boy didn’t shout “gay” to Magnus. But of course, not every gay man was the stereotypical gay man portrayed in movies, Magnus reminded himself. If not for the blush that had appeared when Magnus spoke, which was just too damn cute if Magnus said so himself, he wouldn’t have thought it at all possible the boy could be remotely gay.

Maybe he was bisexual, or pansexual? Magnus thought to himself as he handed his armload of dresses off to Izzy and continued on to the next rack, his mind still more on the boy than on the dresses. He was standing against the wall, his head tilted down as he looked at the floor so that his hair covered his eyes completely. It was such a contrast to the blonde one, who had a very commanding and confident presence. Magnus could tell just by looking at them that the blue eyed one was often standing behind the blonde, and probably felt more comfortable and happier that way. That could present a problem for him. He didn’t want to scare the boy off so he would have to take extra care with him. That really wasn’t something Magnus had experience with, as most of his relationships had been with people who were as flamboyant and flashy as he himself was. But something about the boy had caught his attention. Magnus passed his second arm load off to the blonde and made his way to the last rack in the room. He was deliberately choosing as many dresses as he could find to keep the girl, Izzy she had said her name was, in the dressing room as long as possible, giving him more time to talk to the boy.

Finally finished, he turned around and shooed the trio out into the hallway again before beckoning them forward with a casual wave of his hand. He led them to another room, this one full of men’s wear. “You two start browsing through here, find something you like and bring it to the fitting rooms just down the hall. I’ll go with Izzy and help her start trying these dresses on.” Magnus said, hoisting his armload of dresses to his shoulder so he could take the blonde’s load. He looked at Izzy and tilted his head, a silent signal of “Ladies first.”

She grinned and with a small wave to the boys, bounced out of the room with Magnus on her heels. Izzy paused outside the door and let Magnus step past her to lead the way to the fitting rooms. She started chatting as they walked back the way they had come, passing the front counter to get to the fitting room on the other side of the store. Magnus replied when necessary, keeping the conversation alive, but his mind was still on the angel with the blue eyes.

“Here we are”, he said, stopping in the small waiting area that separated the men’s and women’s fitting rooms. “Would you be a dear and take some of these dresses so I can hang them all up?” he asked, offering his shoulder to her.

“These are all so beautiful, how will I ever choose?” she said as she hooked her free arm under the stack and loaded it on to her own shoulder.

Magnus smiled. “You’ll know. And if you don’t, you have my fabulous self here to help you figure it out,” he replied, winking at her. She laughed and waited until he had taken every dress from her and hung them on the rack outside the fitting room for her. “My boss isn’t here but it’s probably best we follow the rules anyway, so only take six dresses at a time to the room,” Magnus told her, gesturing with one hand towards the fitting rooms.

Izzy nodded eagerly and began browsing through the dresses. “You should probably go check on my brothers,” she said, so innocently and sweetly that Magnus narrowed his eyes in suspicion. She turned in time to catch his look and chuckled. “Jace won’t be a problem, he’s actually good at shopping for himself, but Alec isn’t so he will probably need help,” she explained, plucking two dresses at the same time off the wall.

“I see. I think I’ll just go do that then.” With those words, Magnus turned to go but was stopped by Izzy’s next sentence.

“Are you seeing anyone?”

Magnus instantly turned around and regarded her with steady eyes, tilting his head in curiosity. “You don’t beat around the bush, do you?” he said softly.

Izzy shook her head and shrugged. “I’m not blind. I saw the way you looked at my brother, even though it was just a few seconds. And while I know Alec is lonely, he also isn’t ‘out’ yet. So I wanted to warn you. Be gentle with him.” With those parting words, she turned and went into the fitting room, six dresses hanging over one arm.

Magnus frowned at the wall, thinking about her words. It was comforting to know his intuition had been right. But not so comforting was the knowledge that the boy, Alec, he reminded himself, was still in the closet. It made the situation complicated. Sighing, Magnus turned and left the fitting room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG you guys! The response to chapter one just blew me away, thank you! I love getting feedback, even if it's just kudos or a short comment, so keep it all coming please! That's what keeps me going and keeps me motivated!  
> Also, please point out any typos or inconsistencies. I'm working on several fics at once so things sometimes slip past me.

Alec sighed in frustration again, still staring angrily at the rack of shirts. He wasn’t any closer to picking something out than he had been five minutes ago when Izzy and Magnus had left. Every shirt looked the same to him. Jace wasn’t having any trouble. He had already picked out several shirts, jackets, and vests, and was now searching through the pants. He had just pulled a pair off the rack when his cell phone started ringing in his pocket. He shifted all the clothes to one arm and pulled it out, his face breaking into a grin when he checked the caller ID.

“It’s Clary,” he said, looking at Alec before flipping the phone open and bringing it to his face. “Hey, baby. How’s it going?”

Alec shook his head and turned his attention back to browsing the racks. He had just picked up yet another shirt when Magnus spoke up from the doorway behind him.

“Clary? Clary Fray?” he asked, walking towards Alec. He stopped a few feet away from Alec, his eyes slowly roaming up and down the boy’s body.

Alec felt himself blushing again and struggled to speak. “Y-y-ye-y”. Realizing he was stuttering, he swallowed and cleared his throat a couple times, his face heating up even more. Finally, he settled for nodding in response.

Magnus smiled and tilted his head. “Well now. How about that?” he drawled, his smile growing as Alec’s face turned even redder. “So he’s the one who’s been stealing her away from me on the weekends.”

Alec frowned, his blush disappearing as his embarrassment was replaced by instant jealousy. Which confused him, as he had no reason to be jealous anyway. Magnus wasn’t his, after all. Not yet, his mind whispered back at him, making the blush return to his cheeks. “Were you two, you know….” Alec trailed off, swallowing nervously.

“Oh goodness, no,” Magnus replied, chuckling. “No, we take art classes together. Have been for a few years now.” Magnus slowly stepped forward, not wanting to scare Alec off. He reached out and pulled a shirt from the rack and held it out towards Alec. “This should fit you fine.”

Alec’s brow furrowed as he frowned. “I can pick my own clothes out.” Magnus raised an eyebrow at him, letting the silence stretch out until Alec shuffled his feet and looked at the floor. “Thank you. I would appreciate your help.”

He kept his face averted until he felt warm fingers under his chin. Magnus lifted his face up so their eyes could meet, a small gentle smile on his face. “It’s OK, Alec. I shouldn’t have assumed without asking first. I’m sorry.” Alec gave him a small smile in return but it quickly changed into another frown.

“How do you know my name?“ he asked.

Suddenly, the sound of a phone flipping closed brought him back to reality and he jerked his head away from Magnus’s hand, glancing towards Jace self consciously as he came over to them, putting his phone back in his pocket. Magnus backed away from Alec as Jace approached. “Izzy told me both your names,” he replied. He eyed Jace. “You can only take six items at a time into the fitting rooms. You go on ahead and start trying things on. I’ll stay and help Alec pick something out. Follow the signs back to the fitting rooms.”

Jace frowned, glancing at Alec for a cue. Alec blushed and ducked his head, struggling to control his breathing. He didn’t want to show how nervous, yet excited, he was at the thought of being alone with Magnus. After several tense moments, he managed a small nod but didn’t lift his head until he heard Jace’s retreating footsteps. Magnus waited patiently for Alec to lift his head before speaking.

“Do you need help?“ he asked. He already knew Alec did but he wanted to make up for his unintended slight from before. It was refreshing to see that despite his shyness, and underneath his adorable blush, he had a fire in him.

Alec swallowed and nodded again. “I don’t go shopping much. And when I do, it’s never for suits.” Magnus smiled and inclined his head in understanding. He held up the first shirt he had picked out and Alec took it, looking at it with confusion. Magnus chuckled softly at how cute Alec’s face looked and turned back to the rack, looking through all the shirts. He picked out a few simple ones, sneaking a glance every thirty seconds or so at Alec, who was standing there looking at his feet again and biting his lip. It brought a smile to his face again, thinking of how cute the boy was.

Satisfied with the shirts he had picked out, Magnus turned and went to one rack of jackets. The shop had a large variety of styles but he knew Alec would appreciate subtlety and simplicity over something Magnus himself would wear. As he browsed through the jackets, he wondered how long Alec would let the silence last. Surprisingly, it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. Rather, it was a familiar, comfortable one. Magnus hadn't experienced that kind of silence with anyone else before and he reveled in the new experience. He was always looking out for surprises in life. Alec seemed to be turning out to be full of them.

Alec watched Magnus from under his bangs, dropping his eyes whenever Magnus looked his way. His eyes, those green eyes, were as intimidating as they were beautiful. Actually, everything about Magnus intimidated and excited him. It was confusing to Alec, to say the least. He watched Magnus pick out jackets, biting his lip and tugging on his sleeve, until finally he gathered up his courage to speak. “H-how long have you worked here?” Alec asked, clearing his throat after hearing how shaky his voice was. And then he ducked his head again, berating himself for asking such a stupid question.

But Magnus didn’t seem to mind at all. He simply smiled and handed Alec four jackets to go with the shirts. “Almost three years,” Magnus said in answer. He paused beside another rack, this one holding vests. “Do you want a vest?”

Alec swallowed and shrugged in reply. “Do I need one?”

Magnus chuckled and plucked a vest off the rack, holding it up for Alec to see. “Well, I think you do. But it’s up to you, darling. This would match your eyes spectacularly.” Alec tried to ignore the blush that the word “darling” caused and focus on the vest, which was a simple sapphire blue with black buttons. Alec bit his lip again, debating with himself. It ‘was’ nice, he supposed. And if Magnus liked it, well, why not? He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Magnus grinned and, holding on to the vest himself this time, walked by Alec and towards the opposite wall, this one covered in ties and other suit accessories.

“A tie is a must for any formal event, and we have one that will match the vest perfectly.” He tapped his chin as he scanned the rows of ties before giving a small, “ah ha!” and pulling one off the wall. It did, indeed, match the blue color of the vest. Alec nodded wordlessly, to which Magnus responded with another gentle smile. It helped relax Alec enough that he could smile back. He took a deep breath and asked, “So, what next?”

“You need to try these on and pick a shirt, jacket, and pants. We can come back for the pants. Shoes will be last, if you don’t already have any. Come on, follow me.” Magnus took the jackets from him and started walking, waving his hand in a ‘follow me’ gesture. Alec followed behind him, just a couple steps behind, and couldn’t stop himself from studying his tall frame from head to foot. 

‘He has a really nice ass,’ Alec thought to himself, making himself blush again. Magnus glanced back at him over his shoulder just in time to catch the blush and see where Alec’s gaze was. He smirked and when Alec’s eyes panned up to meet his, Magnus winked at him. Alec felt his face heat up even more but, in another random moment of bravery, he managed not to duck his head and instead smiled back at Magnus. The older boy chuckled and turned his head forward again. Alec thought he heard a faint mumble from Magnus, something that sounded like “Oh you are just TOO cute!”.

As they passed the front counter, Magnus paused and pulled out a bell and a “Ring bell for service” sign from somewhere, setting them on top of the counter before continuing to the fitting rooms. They heard the voices before they made it to the fitting rooms. It was familiar to Alec, hearing his siblings bicker and it calmed him a bit. He wasn’t surprised to find them standing toe to toe, trying to stare each other down. Izzy stood with her hands on her hips, dressed in a dark purple beaded, sleeveless, high necked top and circle skirt. Jace stood with his arms crossed, looking at her nonchalantly and without a care in the world. He had on a classic tuxedo that fit him well and Alec suddenly felt his insecurities push to the surface. Where before he had been happy and giddy from spending time alone with Magnus, now he shrunk back into himself. Magnus was watching him out of the corner of his eye and caught the moment when Alec reverted back to the shy boy that had first entered the shop.

Magnus sighed inwardly before turning his attention to the bickering siblings. “As entertaining as I find sibling tiffs to be, I do work here and would really rather not lose my job when my boss watches the security footage tomorrow.”

Izzy and Jace backed away from each other. Izzy pointed a finger at Jace in some silent communication between siblings that Magnus didn't understand. Then Izzy turned to face them and spread the skirt out to the sides. “What do you think, Alec? Jace thinks this color is ugly, but I think it’s just the right shade of purple for my complexion.”

Alec nodded in agreement, smiling slightly. “You look great, Izzy.”

Izzy beamed and twirled in the dress before she bounced back into the stall to try on another. Jace shook his head and stepped over to the mirrors set against the wall, checking the fit of the tux out from every angle. While he was doing that, Magnus and Alec hung up the clothes they carried. Magnus took the moment to smile at Alec, making the boy blush all over again. Chuckling, Magnus handed the shirts to Alec and gently nudged him towards the dressing room. Alec stumbled into it, flustered, and then hurriedly reached to close the door, looking for an escape. Magnus grabbed the door and stopped him before it shut. 

“I can go pick you out some pants while you try those on, if you want. Just tell me your size,” Magnus offered sweetly. Alec nodded and told him his pants size. Magnus let him close the door then and, ignoring Jace’s knowing smirk, he left. 

 

After he shut the door, Alec quickly tried on the shirts. He took a few moments to look at himself in each shirt, finding himself actually caring about it when before he hadn’t cared at all. He determinedly refused to think about the cause of this sudden development, instead focusing on the shirts. They all fit him well and were comfortable. Alec made a mental note to compliment Magnus on his choices later. He ended up choosing the simplest of the shirt, a plain white button up shirt with black buttons. Feeling confident in the shirt, he stepped out of the stall, intending to begin trying on the jackets. But to his chagrin, he was waylaid by both of his siblings as soon as he opened the door. 

Izzy, who had changed into a short blue strapless dress with a sweetheart neckline, and Jace, back in his regular clothes, were standing shoulder to shoulder in front of the dressing room door, waiting for him. Izzy wasn’t even trying to hide her grin, while Jace simply stared at him with a raised eyebrow. Alec groaned and shut his eyes, praying for mercy. When he opened them again, Izzy and Jace hadn’t moved. Alec sighed and accepted the inevitable. “Okay, get it over with,” he said, defeated. 

Izzy instantly squealed and threw herself at him. He caught her easily, used to her doing it, and she hugged him tight around the neck. “Alec! You have to ask him to the prom!”

“Izzy, I can’t just ask him that! I don’t even know him,” he protested, setting her down. 

Jace lazily held up his phone. “He’s good friends with Clary. I’ve already had her text me everything she knows about him. His name is Magnus Bane, he’s 25, he’s Asian, Indonesian to be exact, he’s loaded and has a loft in Brooklyn, he’s a cat person and currently has one cat named Chairman Meow, he’s into martial arts and is a talented dancer, has a great eye for fashion and is currently taking classes to get degrees in business, fashion, and art so he can start his own business, and despite being rich he works here part-time when he’s not in class.”

While Alec was trying to wrap his head around all that information, Izzy scoffed and lightly punched Jace in the arm. “Jace left off the best part. He’s bisexual and single! Has been for awhile, besides the occasional one-night stand.”

Alec gaped at Izzy, shocked. “Izzy!”

“What? That’s what you really wanted to know, right?”

Alec sputtered. “Yeah, but now he’s gonna think I’m a stalker because I know so much about him!”

Izzy shrugged. “Well, you can even things out by telling him everything about yourself. Preferably before prom, so that gives you a week to get to know each other.”

Alec groaned and covered his face with his hands. When he lowered his hands, Izzy and Jace were no longer in front of him. Izzy was searching through the dresses still hanging on the rack, humming to herself. Jace was leaning against the wall, seemingly texting someone. Alec frowned and opened his mouth to speak, only to stop when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He spun around and found himself face to face with Magnus, who was carrying several pairs of pants over one arm. 

“Alec, is everything okay?” he asked, concerned. 

Alec swallowed and nodded. “Yeah, everything is fine.”

Magnus smiled and his eyes dropped down to Alec’s shirt. “I see you picked one out. It fits you nicely. What about the jacket, vest, and tie?” 

“I haven’t tried those on yet. I was just about to.” 

Magnus nodded. “Well, let’s try on the pants first, since I’ve got them here now.” He handed the pants to Alec, who clutched them to his chest awkwardly. Magnus patted his arms comfortingly and Alec fled back into the dressing stall. Magnus chuckled softly, amused. He turned around and narrowed his eyes at Izzy and Jace. He wasn’t an idiot and he could tell they were deliberately making themselves appear busy when they were actually paying close attention to Alec and himself. 

Izzy glanced up from the dresses and caught his eyes. She suddenly grinned and shrugged, unrepentant. Then, she randomly pulled another dress off the rack and disappeared into the stall with it. Sighing, Magnus shook his head and turned his attention to Jace. He eyed him up and down, noting that he had his regular clothes back on. “So, have you found the suit for you?” he asked. 

Jace looked up and tucked his phone into his pocket. “I did, thanks.” He pointed to the stall he had used, where he had hung up everything over the door. “I’ll grab shoes when Iz and Alec are done.”

Magnus nodded. “I’m sure Clary will love it.”

Jace grinned. “I already sent her a picture of it. She approves.”

“That’s good, then. She’s supposed to stop by later this week for a dress. Will you be accompanying her?”

“No,” Jace shook his head. “She wants it to be a surprise. She’ll probably take Izzy though. Which reminds me, could we get a discount since you’re best friends with my girlfriend?” 

Magnus huffed. “You want me to risk my job over a discount?” 

Jace shrugged. “It’s not like you need this job anyway, so what does it matter?”

Magnus glared at the blonde, who only smirked in return. “Only because I love Clary.”

“And because you’ve got the hots for my brother,” Jace pointed out smugly. 

Before Magnus could respond, Izzy walked out of her stall in a wine red satin, backless, V-neck mermaid tail gown. Jace and Magnus both turned their attention to her and she twirled around for them to see the dress completely before she posed in front of the mirrors. She straightened the train out behind her and studied herself first before she turned back to them and asked, “What do you think? It’s got a built in bra, which is always amazing, but I might still need some tape, just to be safe.”

Jace shrugged. “I don’t know, it seems like it might be hard to dance in that thing. That’s a lot of fabric on the bottom,” he pointed out. 

Izzy sighed. “Well, that’s because it’s a sweep train! It’s meant to fan out behind you as you walk. I thought it would add a nice touch for the pictures, you know standing on the stairs at home before we leave? Oh, I could do a whole photoshoot with this one!” 

Jace looked at Magnus for support and to Magnus’s horror, he found himself agreeing. “He’s right, Isabelle. It does look fantastic on you, and would make for great pictures, but it’s not very functional as far as dancing or moving around is concerned. I shudder to think of how hard it would be to get it into the car!” 

Izzy’s shoulders drooped and she sighed sadly. “You’re right. Maybe I can talk Mom and Dad into letting me get two dresses. I really love this one.” Sighing again, she went back into the stall. 

Just as the door shut behind her, Alec’s door opened and he stepped out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, so, so sorry for the delayed update! If you didn't see the PSA update I posted a few days ago, life has been crazy for me since I posted chapter 2! Things have settled down now so I hope to be updating regularly again! Thanks for the patience and all the kudos and comments, they keep me going!

Alec had thrown on the vest and tie over his shirt as well as one of the pairs of pants Magnus had picked out. He didn’t miss the way Magnus’s gaze drifted down his body and he fought a blush. Magnus raised his eyes back up to Alec’s face and he caught Alec staring at him. Alec made himself not turn away and swallowed heavily. Then Magnus smiled slyly, not bothering to pretend he hadn’t just been checking him out. Without thinking, Alec smiled back and then moved over to the mirrors when his courage finally ran out. He studied himself in the mirror, admitting to himself that the suit did look good on him.

 

Clearing his throat, Jace stepped away from Magnus and towards Alec, who was fiddling the tie in the mirror. He put his hand on Alec’s shoulder and complimented his suit. Magnus moved to his other side and gently brushed Alec’s hands away, tutting softly. Righting the tie, he said, “You look great. I knew I picked the right cut with that pair. How does it feel?”

 

Alec licked his lips, trying to wet his suddenly dry mouth. Then, to his embarrassment, he, again, stammered as he tried to respond to Magnus. “I, uh, it’s, I,” Jace smirked at him, clearly amused, before he patted his shoulder and walked away, disappearing from view when he left the dressing room. Growing frustrated, Alec huffed and ran his hand through his hair before he said, “It all fits perfect.”

 

To his relief, Magnus didn’t react to the stammering. He smiled and then backed away from Alec. “Do you want to try the other pairs on?”

 

Alec shrugged and turned away from the mirror. “I like these, I don’t need to try on anymore. I don’t like trying on clothes like my sister does. She spends hours at home just changing.”

 

“I heard that, and I do not!”

 

Alec and Magnus both chuckled when Izzy shouted at Alec from inside her stall. Then she stepped out in another dress, this one a short red one covered in ruching. She held her arms out and spun in a circle, showing off the cut out back and the way the straps crossed in the back. She smoothed the dress down over her thighs, grinning. “This is the one,” she declared confidently.

 

Alec smiled at her and moved to her side. “It looks great on you, Iz.” Magnus came up on her other side and agreed with Alec, pointing out how the red complimented her hair.

 

“Now all you need is a kick-ass pair of heels and some matching lipstick,” Magnus stated, moving to the rack of dresses standing next to the stall. “So are you done with these?”

Izzy nodded, admiring herself in the mirror. “I am. How bout you, Alec? Is that what you want? It looks really good on you.”

 

“Yeah, this is it for me. I just need to pick a jacket real quick.”

 

“Well, that should be easy. You’ll only wear it for pictures, after that everybody takes their jackets off.” Izzy spun one last time in front of the mirror and then walked back to the stall. “I’m going to get back into my clothes and then go check out shoes and accessories.” She hugged Alec and then was back into the stall, leaving them alone again.

 

Alec cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He tried to think of something to say but then Magnus gave him a small smile and he was gone, Izzy’s rejected dresses slung over his shoulder. Alec watched him leave and then groaned, dropping his head into his hands. He was pathetic. He turned around to go back into his stall but Jace suddenly came up behind him, eyebrows raised. Alec stared at him for a moment before he asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

Jace rolled his eyes. “Did you ask him yet?”

 

“No! Jace, I just met him!”

 

“And?”

 

Alec sighed and went back into the stall, leaving Jace’s chuckles on the other side of the door. He quickly went through the jackets, finding the first one that fit him right to keep and set the rest aside. He was ready to run far, far away from Magnus Bane.

 

He wasn’t surprised to find Jace waiting patiently for him to leave the stall, leaning against the wall right next to the door. He sighed and walked past him to hang the jacket and everything else he was putting back up on one of the racks. He hung what he was getting on his arm and stood next to Jace to wait for Izzy. He hoped Jace would just keep quiet, but his hopes were dashed when Jace spoke seconds later.

 

“So, why aren’t you going to ask him?”

 

Alec groaned, his head hitting the wall with a thud. “Why can’t you just drop it?”

 

“Because you should ask him.”

 

“Ugh.”

Jace unexpectedly stepped in front of Alec, his face serious. “Seriously, what’s going on? He’s into you, and you’re obviously into him. So what’s stopping you?”

 

Alec turned his head away from him, not sure how to answer it. When he didn’t speak for several seconds, he heard Jace sigh. Recognizing that sound, Alec prepared himself for a good-natured lecture, cringing internally. Then to his relief, and his dread, Magnus reappeared. Jace’s mouth snapped shut and he shot Alec a look that Alec automatically interpreted as “We’ll talk later”, then he spun around, grabbed his clothes off the stall door, and walked past Magnus and out of view. Magnus’s head turned as he watched him go with a frown. He shrugged and turned back to Alec, a smile breaking out on his face.

 

He nodded towards the clothes hanging on Alec’s arm and said, “So are you done?”

 

“Uh, yeah, yeah, I’m done.” Magnus reached for the clothes and Alec handed them over, careful to make sure he didn’t touch Magnus’s hands. Magnus thanked him and grabbed the clothes Alec and Jace had set aside, then he turned and started walking away.

 

“Let me put these on the counter for you and put the rest back and then we can see about finding you some shoes,” Magnus said over his shoulder. Alec waited a few seconds before he grabbed the bunch of dresses Izzy hadn’t tried on and hurriedly followed after him. Magnus looked back at him curiously, raising a perfect eyebrow at him when he saw the dresses he held. Alec blushed and shrugged.

 

“She said she’s through, so she doesn’t need these, right?”

 

Magnus nodded in agreement. “True, but what are you doing with them?” he asked, slowing down so Alec could walk by his side instead of behind him.

 

“Well, uh, I was going to help you put them back up,” Alec admitted, resolutely looking straight ahead as they walked. He caught Magnus looking at him with evident surprise out of the corner of his eye before they reached the front desk. Magnus hung up what Alec had chosen on a rack behind the counter and then elegantly gestured towards the other side of the store. Alec resumed walking, once again with Magnus inches away at his side.

 

“You don’t have to do this, you know. It is my job to put things away, after all,” Magnus said conversationally, though Alec caught a hint of pleasure in his voice. He shrugged and, feeling brave, turned a gave Magnus small smile, which was instantly returned.

 

“It’s nothing. You’ve been great to us so it’s the least I can do.”

 

“Well, your friends with my biscuit so I had to treat you all right.”

 

Alec’s smile faltered. “Is that the only reason?” he asked, struggling to sound nonchalant even though he felt like his heart had stopped.

 

His heart started beating again when Magnus flashed him a grin and a flirty wink. Then Magnus put his hand on Alec’s shoulder and he felt his heart stop again. Looking into Magnus’s eyes, Alec decided that his favorite color was now that special green-gold that made up his eyes. He was so focused on Magnus’s eyes that he almost missed his response.

 

“Of course that wasn’t the only reason. I’m more than happy to help you, Alexander.”

 

Alec was sure he must have been imagining that soft purr he heard in Magnus’s voice, but it made his skin tingle nonetheless. He licked his lips and managed what he hoped was a confident smile. “Thank you,” he said sincerely. Then he lifted the dresses and asked, “So, where do these go?” Magnus chuckled and pulled him forward, his hand never leaving Alec’s shoulder.

 

 

 

Magnus couldn’t keep his eyes away as he hung up everything Alec and Jace had rejected, his mind multitasking effortlessly to put everything back in its proper place while thinking about Alec. Specifically, thinking about the best way to approach him about getting a cup of coffee later. He kept throwing glances at Alec, who was waiting patiently for him to finish by the doorway. He thought it was incredibly sweet of Alec to want to help him put everything back. Most customers were more than happy to just leave things laying around, if he was lucky they might hang things up, but none ever wanted to put anything back. It was a breath of fresh air for him, truthfully, but now he was wondering if it was Alec just being polite or if there was more to it than that.

 

When he had finished putting everything away, he turned back to Alec and grinned. “Let’s get those put away and then I can get you all checked out and ready to go.” Alec nodded and Magnus, not passing up another chance to touch him, put his hand on Alec’s back and led him back to the dress section. Following Magnus’s directions, Alec hung each dress back up in its place. It only took a few minutes and Magnus was preparing to make his move and ask Alec out for coffee later, but to his annoyance Izzy entered the room just then. He sighed and stepped away as Izzy bounced up to her brother.

 

“Alec! I already found the perfect shoes! And they’re seven inches!” Izzy said excitedly, grinning up at her brother. Alec smiled down at her and then she turned to Magnus. “Oh, Magnus, I set them and my dress on the counter, I hope that’s okay.”

 

“That’s fine. Has Blondie finished his shopping?”

 

“Yeah, he’s got his shoes. He’s going to wait till the day of to get his pocket handkerchief so he can pick one that matches Clary’s dress. What about you, Alec? Are you done?”

 

“Not yet, I was helping Magnus clean up after us,” Alec replied, shaking his head.

 

Izzy laughed and nudged him playfully before she looked at Magnus. “He’s such a sweet thing, always helping others like that.”

 

“It’s definitely cute,” he said coyly, just to see Alec blush again. He let Izzy drag Alec away, involuntarily checking out his ass again as they passed him, before he followed them, staying a few feet back to give them privacy. He could hear a few words of Izzy’s chatter but couldn’t hear anything Alec said in response. Izzy led Alec to where the shoes were and Magnus went back to the front counter, where he found Jace leaning against the counter. He mentally sighed but plastered a smile on his face and took his place behind the counter.

 

“Is this all together?” Magnus asked, putting on his professional voice. Jace nodded and Magnus began pulling out boxes and bags, getting everything ready for checkout. He worked in silence for a couple minutes, Jace busy on his phone to his relief, before Alec and Izzy returned. Alec carried a shoe box with him, which he set on the counter next to the other shoe boxes. Magnus shot him a small smile and he cheered inside when Alec returned it. “So, is this everything?” he asked, looking between them all. They all nodded and Magnus quickly boxed, bagged, and rung up all their items. He managed to keep a smile on the whole time, but inside his mind was racing. He was running out of time to ask him!

 

 

 

Alec watched Magnus box and bag their items up, his movements fast and efficient but just as fluid and graceful as everything else Alec had seen from him. He found it hard to look away, though he blushed knowing he was staring. Magnus never looked up and caught him staring, though he wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed. But he did catch both his siblings watching him watch Magnus, Jace with a smirk and Izzy with a grin. He glared at them and pointedly turned away from Magnus, ignoring the resulting chuckle he heard from Jace.

 

“Here you go!” Magnus’s voice had him whipping back around to the counter. Magnus was at the cash register, their boxes and bags stacked neatly on the counter. Alec reached for them, only to have Izzy slap his hand away. She reached into her pocket and pulled out their parents’ credit card, nodding towards Magnus. She shoved the card into his hand and grabbed the bag her dress was in. She tucked her shoe box under her arm and waved at Magnus.

 

“Bye, Magnus! It was great to meet you! Alec, we’ll be waiting in the car.” Izzy elbowed Jace and he jumped into action, gathering up the rest of their items. Jace mumbled is own goodbye and then they were both gone.

 

Alec mentally cursed. He met Magnus’s gaze and held out the credit card to him. Magnus took it with a smile and swiped it before he handed it back. Alec tucked the card back into his pocket. Magnus held the receipt out and Alec reached for it. Their fingers brushed and Alec inhaled sharply. He hastily stuffed the receipt into his pocket, too, and backed away from the counter. “Thanks, again, Magnus. Uh,” he fumbled to find something else to say, but Magnus beat him to it.

 

“Would you like to go out for coffee sometime?” Magnus asked, walking around the counter to stand in front of Alec.

 

Alec’s mouth dropped open in shock. “I, uh, I,” His face turned red as he stammered. Embarrassed, he mumbled something incoherent before he said goodbye and ran out of the store. He thought he heard Magnus chuckling before the door slammed shut behind him. He hopped into the driver’s seat and immediately put it in reverse, not answering Izzy’s or Jace’s questions as they left the parking lot.

 

 

 

“Bye, Alexander!” Magnus called after him, chuckling. He leaned against the counter, smiling. “He is just too cute,” he said aloud. He reached behind the counter and pulled out the “On Break” sign. He hung it on the door and then hurried to the back room where he had left his phone. He got it out and texted his friend Catarina, needing to gush about Alec to someone who didn’t know him. His five minute break ended up being thirty minutes long before he finally felt calm enough to return to work. But he spent the rest of the day thinking about blue eyes.

 

 

 

“Alec! Did you seriously just run out on him? After he asked you out?” Izzy demanded from the passenger seat. Alec sighed and didn’t respond. His silence was answer enough for his sister though because she huffed and scowled at him. “Really, Alec?”

 

“I panicked, okay?” he muttered. Izzy groaned, crossing her arms.

 

“You’re hopeless, Alec,” Jace said from the backseat. Alec nodded in agreement.

 

The rest of the ride was spent in silence. Alec parked the car in the driveway and quickly grabbed his things out of the trunk. He was almost running as he entered the small mansion his family owned. He just wanted to go to his room and be alone for awhile so he could think about a certain pair of green eyes. Unfortunately, life had other plans for him.

 

“Alec! There you are, I’ve been looking for you.” Alec froze with one foot on the staircase. He grimaced before he turned to face his mother. Maryse Lightwood was almost an older copy of his sister Izzy, if it weren’t for the eyes she and Alec shared. 

 

“Hi, mom,” he said, leaning down and accepting her hug. He looked behind her and saw Izzy and Jace walking towards them. His mother pulled away from him and he looked down at her. “What’s up?”

 

“I know you don’t have a date for prom and you don’t have a girlfriend. Your father and I talked and we decided that it wouldn’t be good for you to go to your senior prom without someone on your arm. So, we talked to our business partners, the Branwell’s, you remember them and their daughter, don’t you?” Alec nodded numbly, dreading where the conversation was heading. “Well, their daughter Lydia has already had her senior prom last weekend. We asked her father to speak to her for us and she agreed to go with you to your prom this weekend.”

 

Even though he was sort of expecting it, Alec still wasn’t prepared for that. “You set up an . . . arranged date for my prom?” he asked, needing clarification. He heard Izzy and Jace both gasp but didn’t look away from his mother.

 

She smiled at him. “If you want to call it that, alright. Yes, we did set you up with a nice girl so you wouldn’t be dancing alone at your prom.” She paused before she added, “And she’s single.” Alec nodded and his mother took that as an affirmation. She kissed his cheek and then turned around to greet Izzy and Jace. Alec stared at the floor, his mind racing and his thoughts full of those green eyes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, now I'm finally adding in things from the show! I love adding in Easter eggs when I write, though I don't know if anybody actually notices them or not. I wasn't originally going to add in Lydia, but there needed to be some angst in this and I liked the idea of adding a parallel to the arranged marriage. Leave a comment and tell me what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm not really happy with this chapter, but after spending a week editing, trying to fix it so that I like, I've given up! I think my biggest thing here is trying to keep aspects of the books and the show in the same fic, especially when it comes to the characters but some characters are very different in the show than they are in the books, or vice versa, so it's a struggle trying to figure out how I should write them. But anyway, here's chapter 4!   
> Kudos/comments appreciated!

Alec slowly made his way up to his room, forcing himself not to hurry even though he wanted to run. He could hear Izzy and Jace trying to politely get away from Maryse but their voices faded the further up the stairs he went. By the time he was on the second floor, he couldn’t hear anything else. He hoped they wouldn’t say anything about Lydia. He really didn’t need them making the situation worse by trying to help. 

Just as he reached his bedroom door, he heard thumping coming from behind him. He identified it as his siblings running up the stairs, the sound familiar after hearing it for as long as he could remember, and he sighed, knowing if he tried to hide in his room they would only make a scene outside his door until he let them in. So he waited and as he expected Izzy and Jace appeared at his shoulders. He could see on their faces they weren’t happy with what his mother had done. He sighed again, opened the door, and entered his bedroom. Izzy and Jace followed right on his heels. Alec closed the door and they all set their things down on his bed. Then, Izzy whirled around and said, “Why didn’t you tell her no?” 

Alec shrugged, avoiding her gaze. She exhaled and looked at him with empathy and sadness, as she already knew the answer to that. They both struggled in their relationships with their mother, both trying to be perfect children. Their parents expected much of them, too much sometimes. The only one of them who didn’t deal with this, was Jace, not because he was perfect but because as their adopted child they didn’t have such high standards as they did for Alec and Izzy. That didn’t mean he wasn’t aware of how their parents treated them. He sympathized and was always on their side, which they both appreciated immensely. Alec glanced at Jace and then looked away when he saw the sadness on his brother’s face. 

“It’s not a big deal, Izzy. It’s just prom. It’s just one night,” Alec said, trying to convince himself as much as them. 

Izzy huffed. “It’s not just one night, Alec! It’s the principle of the matter!” she retorted, hands on her hips. 

“I agree with her, Alec,” Jace said calmly. “You shouldn’t let them think they can run your life still. I mean, you’re nineteen now, man! Besides, senior prom is supposed to be fun. You shouldn’t go with someone you don’t like. That’s worse than going by yourself.” 

“It’s not worth starting a fight. I like Lydia well enough, I’ll just make sure to tell her upfront that it will just be a friend thing.” 

“And then what, play nice for the camera and abandon her then? That’s not fair to her, Alec, anymore than it’s fair to you,” Jace pointed out. 

Izzy nodded in agreement before she asked, “What about Magnus?” 

Alec cleared his throat and moved past them to his bed. He busied his hands with rearranging their bags and boxes as he said, “What about him?” 

Izzy and Jace looked at each other behind his back before Jace cautiously said, “He is a good guy, according to Clary.” 

“Yeah, he’s, uh, he’s, great, uh, really great,” Alec stammered out. He could picture Izzy’s smirk but he didn’t turn around to see it. 

“You could ask him. He knows you’re into him and you’re single…” Izzy said, trailing off as Alec turned to face her, glaring.

“What did you tell him?” 

Izzy swallowed before she responded. “I just told him you weren’t out yet.”

Alec gaped for a second before he said, harshly. “Why would you do that?”

“Because he’s into you and I figured he should know. Maybe he’ll ask you instead of waiting for you to ask him.” 

“I’m not asking Magnus to prom, okay! Would you two just drop it already?” Alec demanded, his voice raised. Both Izzy and Jace took a step back, shocked. He groaned, aggravated, and rubbed his face. “I’m sorry,” he apologized. 

Jace shook it off first, reassuring Alec that it was ok. “We’ve been pushing and teasing you about the prom and Magnus, and then your mom dropped the Lydia bombshell on you. You’re stressed and we haven’t helped at all. So, sorry about that.” 

Izzy mumbled her own apology, looking contrite, before she explained, “We just worry about you, Alec. You deserve to be happy and be yourself. We love you and seeing you alone and unhappy hurts us.” 

Alec sat down on his bed and dropped his head into his hands. “I know that, and I love you, too,” he said quietly. “But you two pushing me doesn’t help any.” They nodded their understanding and Alec sighed, standing up. 

“I’m going to do what I think is right,” he said with finality. Izzy and Jace both recognized that tone and they simultaneously sighed, knowing he had made up his mind. “That’s what I want, so please, just don’t bring it up again,” he added in a low voice.

Jace and Izzy shared another look before Izzy softly said, “Right for whom, Alec?” Alec couldn’t respond as they gathered their things and left the room. Alone, Alec dropped back down onto his bed. 

 

That evening, Magnus unlocked the door to his loft, humming happily. He shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it to the side, not caring where it landed, and then went into the kitchen. He set his takeout down on the counter and poured himself a glass of wine, his mind still on the blue-eyed angel that he had met that day. He smiled, recalling how adorable Alec had been when he was flustered, and set his meal out on the breakfast table set in the corner by the window. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, set it down on the table, and sat down to eat his meal. 

His phone vibrated when he finished his meal. He picked it up and grinned when he saw who was calling. Ignoring the trash left on the table, he stood up and answered it. “Hello, Biscuit.” 

“Hey, Magnus.” 

“To what do I owe this honor?” Magnus asked, picking up his glass. He took a sip as Clary responded. 

“A little birdy told me today that you met someone at work.” 

Magnus smirked. “I’m sure Blondie already told you all about it.”

“He told me some but I wanted to hear it from you.” 

So Magnus refilled his glass, took a seat on his couch, and told Clary everything that had happened that day. And maybe he spent longer than necessary talking about Alec. At the end of it all, Clary simply said, “Wow.” 

Magnus sighed, leaning his head back. “I know. Alexander is perfection.”

“Alexander, huh?” Magnus could practically hear the smile on her face. “Did you call him that to his face?”

“Mhm, why?” 

“Because he doesn’t let anybody else call him that.” 

“Well, isn’t that lovely,” Magnus purred. Clary laughed and then the conversation shifted to other mundane things as they just chatted. An hour passed before they finally said goodnight. Magnus hung up and set his phone down beside him on the couch. He stretched his arms out over the back of the couch, lifted his legs and put his feet on the coffee table. He spent several more minutes relaxing on the couch with his wine before he deemed it time to go to bed. 

 

Alec woke up the next morning when his alarm clock went off, tired even though he had slept several hours. He had spent all night dreaming about Magnus, though to his relief he didn’t remember any specifics to what he dreamt. He just knew it was about Magnus. He laid in bed a few extra minutes, staring up at his ceiling with a small smile on his face. And then his mother was knocking on his door to wake him up. Hearing her voice reminded him about the situation with Lydia and he frowned as his sibling’s words came back to him. 

He knew they were right. He was an adult and he shouldn’t be letting their parents run his life anymore. But old habits die hard. And if he was being honest with himself, he was a little afraid. He had always dreamed of being a part of the family business, maybe even taking over after his parents retired. His parents had been training him and Izzy since they were children so that they could one day run the business. It’s all he wanted to do with his life. What would happen if his parents found out he wasn’t their perfect son? 

His mother knocked on his door a second time and he reluctantly sat up in bed. He called out to let her know he was up and awake and then he checked his phone. As he expected, he had no new messages or notifications and he tossed the phone onto his bed. He rubbed his face and stretched before he stood up. He grabbed some clean clothes, his usual black jeans and black t-shirt ensemble. And if his mind imagined what Magnus, who was colorful and fashionable, would say to all the black in his closet, he wasn’t going to complain. Inside his small adjoining bathroom, he quickly showered and shaved before dressing. He was pulling on his boots when the bedroom door opened and Jace stuck his head in. 

“Hey, Izzy and I are meeting Clary and Simon for breakfast before school. You wanna come?” 

Alec started to say no, but suddenly changed his mind. He was as shocked as Jace was when he said, “Sure. Where we going?” 

The blonde gaped at him for a moment, before he grinned. “We’re meeting them at Taki’s in half an hour so hurry up,” he said and left the room, the door quietly shutting behind him. Alec tied his bootlaces and was running after Jace a minute later. He hurried down the staircase and then stopped, glancing warily towards the kitchen where he could hear his parents talking. He licked his lips nervously and made himself walk calmly and slowly to the front door. He had just passed the kitchen doorway when he heard his father call his name. 

He sighed, grimacing, and turned around. He made his face blank and went into the kitchen, where his parents were sitting across from each other at the breakfast table. “Yes, Dad?”

Robert Lightwood was a tall and burly man, with dark hair and blue eyes so dark they were often mistaken for being black. Alec met his father’s gaze without blinking, both curious and scared of what he wanted. “Your mother tells me she told you about Lydia.” Alec nodded mutely. “Well, we’ll be having dinner with Lydia and her parents tomorrow night.” 

Alec frowned. “We’re just going to prom together, Dad. Why do we need to have dinner with them?” In the back of his mind Alec realized that he had just confirmed that he would go to prom with Lydia and he inwardly cringed. 

“Yes, it is just prom. But this is a great opportunity for us. We’ve been trying to become partners with the Branwells for years. This could be our way in.”  
“You want to use me, and Lydia, to get to her parents?” Alec asked for clarification. 

Maryse cleared her throat then and said, “I wouldn’t say we’re ‘using’ either of you. We are simply taking advantage of the opportunity to get close to them. You and Lydia will have a good time at the prom and we can build off of your relationship with Lydia and eventually they will agree to a partnership.” 

His mother apparently had it all planned out in her head but Alec was concerned with one thing she had said. “My relationship with Lydia?” His parents nodded and Alec licked his lips nervously, not liking where the conversation was going. “It’s just prom, Mom, Dad. That doesn’t guarantee a relationship.” 

His mother waved her hand, dismissing his comment. He glared at her slightly but she looked away from him and returned to her breakfast. His father was frowning at him and he opened his mouth, but Izzy appeared just then, coming to Alec’s rescue. She threw herself at Robert, wrapping her arms around his neck to hug him. He chuckled and hugged her back and Alec took the moment to escape. Jace was waiting by the front door and Alec hurried to him. Jace slapped his shoulder and smiled, asking, “Did they give you ‘the talk’?”

 

Alec shook his head. “Let’s go, Izzy can catch up.” Jace frowned but followed Alec outside. 

“What happened, Alec? What did they say?” 

Alec sighed and ran his hands through his hair. “We’re having dinner tomorrow night with Lydia and her parents.” 

“Why are you having dinner with them? It’s just prom!” 

Alec nodded and gave him a quick rundown of his conversation with his parents. “Apparently they expect that one night with Lydia will be enough to jump start some relationship that they can use to do business with the Branwells.” 

Jace swore. “They’re crazy! I thought setting up your prom date was bad, are they going to set up your marriage, too!” Alec shrugged and Jace swore again. Before he could say anything else, Izzy came through the front door. 

She looked at them both and said, “What’s going on?” Jace glared at Alec and when Alec didn’t respond, he quickly told her about what their parents had said. Izzy sighed and, after looking at Alec, merely shrugged and suggested they get moving so they weren’t late. Alec sent her a grateful smile and they set out, choosing to grab a taxi instead of driving. 

Magnus sighed as he got out of the taxi. It was too early for him to be up on his day off. But he had been awoken by a call from Clary, begging him to join her and her friend for breakfast. So he had gotten up, drank two cups of coffee, showered, dressed, did his hair and makeup, and then called a taxi, all before seven. “I hope Clary realizes how much I adore her after this,” Magnus mumbled as he entered the café where they were meeting. He immediately found Clary sitting at a table with her nerdy friend, Simon Magnus recalled his name was. Clary saw him heading their way and stood up as he reached the table. 

“Magnus, you came!” Clary said, smiling as she hugged him. Despite his grumbling, Magnus couldn’t help but smile back. 

“Of course I did, Biscuit. Hello, Simon.” Magnus nodded to the boy and sat down across from Clary. He glanced down at the empty seats beside him. “This a large table for just us three. Expecting company?” 

Clary nodded. “Just a few people. I also already ordered drinks for everyone. I hope you don’t mind.” 

Magnus waved his hand. “Not at all, you know what I like. So, who is this company?” Magnus asked even though he already had a sneaking suspicion as to who would be joining them.

Clary started to answer, only to see something behind him that made her grin and stand up. “There they are now.” Magnus turned around in his seat and saw Jace and Izzy, who he had expected as they were dating Clary and Simon. But he hadn’t expected to see Alec coming through the door behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay Alec for standing up to Izzy and Jace! Even if you are standing up for the wrong things... I really wanted to address the relationship between Alec, Izzy, Jace and Robert and Maryse, trying to stay true to how it was in the show and in the books, but it started to feel like too much for one chapter, so I'll be touching on it more in future chapters. Also, I adore Magnus and Clary's friendship!   
> I love leaving Easter eggs in my fics ^_^


	5. Not a chapter update, sorry!

!!!I HAVE NOT ABANDONED THIS FIC!!!  
Unfortunately, this isn't the next chapter. I'm really very sorry. It's been three months now, but these past three months have been really rough, dealing with a break up, the holidays, and struggling to get by. I tried to keep writing and have something out for November, but I just had no inspiration and trying to write felt like a chore more than something fun. Eventually I had to think about my mental health and put some things on the back burner, and that included putting my writing away for the time being. 

The good news is, I got help for my anxiety and depression, which I've never really talked about before, and I'm taking medication now and have talked to a therapist and my family so I have a support system now. Things are getting better and I'm feeling better. 

Now for the bad news. I finally found some motivation and inspiration to write on Monday, and I started writing again, taking it slow and easing my way into it. I was doing good and feeling good about it, but yesterday I spilled tea on my laptop. Needless to say, my laptop is dead. I'm glad to say that I can get all my data back, since I haven't backed it up in a couple months, and I will be able to replace my laptop with the help of my dad, but it's all going to a few weeks. 

Again, I'm very sorry for the wait and I can't say how grateful and appreciative I am for those who haven't given up on me or my fics yet. Your patience and support mean so much to me, it's more than I could ever ask for. ❤❤❤

EDIT 02/14/2018: I have really good news, which is that not only do I now have my desktop set up and running, but I also have another laptop, courtesy of my sister's friend who moved into my spare bedroom over the weekend. So I can get back to writing! The bad news is that I still haven't had the money to send my hard drive off to have all my data recovered, so in order to start working on my WIPs again, I would have to copy and paste what I've already posted here and start over again from there, essentially losing all the work I had done on them before my laptop went dead. Part of me wants to do just that, because I hate how long it's been since I updated any of my fics, but I don't want to lose all my progress on them and start over either. I'm still trying to make a concrete decision on it, but until I make up my mind, I will start posting other one-shots and easing myself back into writing again until I can work on my WIPs again. As always, thank you all for your support and patience! It means the world to me! And for anyone wondering, as far as my mental health goes, I'm continuing to do better and feel better every day!


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